Deck, Sterling, Wesson win primaries; no runoffs

Jun. 29—Editor's note: This story has been updated to correctly attribute quotes to candidates.

There were clear winners in all three Norman primaries for the state House following the Tuesday primary election.

Teresa Sterling and Kendra Wesson won the Republican primary elections for House districts 45 and 46 respectively, and will face Democratic challengers in the general election. Jared Deck took the Democratic primary for District 44, and will face a Republican challenger.

The General Election is Nov. 8.

District 44

Jared Deck has beaten Kate Bierman in the Democratic primary for House District 44 with 64.55% of the vote, according to unofficial results.

He will face Republican challenger RJ Harris in the House general election Nov. 8. The winner will replace Rep. Emily Virgin, D-Norman.

"I feel like we are on to the next step in a fight to recognize the humanity in others and to put compassion into action," Deck said after his win Tuesday.

A musician, Moore Norman Technology Center board member and former business owner,

Deck said on the campaign trail that he would push to expand access to medical care and the state's uncompensated care fund. He also plans to support teachers, fight school vouchers, protect LGBTQ+ rights and support criminal justice reform, he said.

He edged out Bierman, the former Norman Ward 1 city councilor and current business owner. Bierman said she would focus policies that support women and reproductive health care, fight for animal rights, advocate for living wages and work on criminal justice reform if elected.

"I want to personally thank all the voters, volunteers, and supporters for believing in me and our campaign for Norman," she said in a prepared statement. "This campaign was about you, the voters, and how we make progress in our state.. Meeting you on the doors and hearing your needs has been something I will never forget. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support."

Deck did not comment when asked about Bierman as a candidate.

Deck said he will continue grassroots campaign efforts leading up to the general election. He said his campaign is based on relationships and listening to constituents.

When asked about facing Harris in November, Deck said he isn't going to focus his campaign on another candidate.

"This campaign's focus is on our neighbors in need, and many of us who were not born on third base," Deck said. "Our greatest opponent is the suffering that's been endured by our community since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and now that we're facing an economic overturn, high inflation, rising housing costs, and a state government that is now often targeting its constituents negatively rather than giving people a hand up."

District 45

Teresa Sterling edged out Dave Spaulding in the Republican primary for House of Representatives District 45, earning 51.08% of the vote, according to unofficial results.

Sterling will face Annie Menz in the House general election Nov. 8. The winner will replace Rep. Merleyn Bell, D-Norman.

Sterling, a retired Oklahoma City police officer, said she will address sex offender regirstration laws in light of the recently-proposed overnight homeless shelter in Norman. She also said she will advocate for the elderly and fight Critical Race Theory (a state law passed in 2021 bans teaching several concepts about race and racism in Oklahoma public schools).

Sterling said her win is for her mother, who died in a nursing home in the state, and "any person who has been killed in any nursing home in this state."

"My message resonated, and I think I listened to what the voters had to say," she said.

Sterling defeated Spaulding, the former chair of the Cleveland County Republican Party who ostensibly supported the Jan. 6 insurrection. If elected, he planned to support law enforcement and the First and Second amendments and support small businesses. He also planned to oppose Critical Race Theory and Social Emotional Learning in schools and oppose "reckless open border policies" although Oklahoma is not on the Southern Border.

Spaulding did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday night.

When asked what's next in her campaign, Sterling said it's "back to work." She said she needs to continue to knock on doors and talk to voters.

Sterling complimented Menz, who she'll face in November — she said she "has the capacity to win." But she said she does, too.

"People are tired of seeing what they're seeing in Norman," Sterling said.

District 46

With 67.59% of the vote, Kendra Wesson has beaten Nancy Sangirardi and Kendra Sassan Moghadam in the House District 46 Republican primary and will not have to face a runoff.

She will face incumbent Jacob Rosecrants in the House general election Nov. 8.

Wesson, is an accountant and co-chair of School Boards 4 Kids, a group that recruits school board candidates to run to "end the indoctrination." She is also a former member of Unite Norman, the group that formed in 2020 to recall Norman leadership that voted to reallocate proposed police funding.

According to her website, Wesson plans to fund public safety and support military members and veterans if elected. She also plans to "encourage pro-business policies and work for proper budgeting and transparency in tax dollar spending.

"I appreciate everyone that has supported me in this campaign," Wesson said in a prepared statement Tuesday. "The work is not over and we are ready for the coming challenge. There is no reckoning with a force that puts faith and community first. Thank you Norman for believing in me."

Moghadam, the co-founder of Unite Norman who came under scrutiny in 2020 when he threw a brick at a car full of teenagers and tried to make a citizen's arrest of them, earned 11.88% of the vote. Nancy Sangirardi, the current chair of the Cleveland County Republican Party, earned 20.53%.

Moghadam admitted on Tuesday night that he entered the race to "affect the results" so that Wesson wouldn't win the election.

He supported Sangirardi, who ran against Critical Race Theory in Oklahoma public schools and abortion, and for economic opportunity.

Moghadam said he could support Rosecrants, who he believes is experienced.

"I know he's a Democrat. I've supported Democrats who have experience, and so I will strongly consider supporting him," Moghadam said.